Casein compound.



Casein Compounds, of which the'following is UNITED s rA rE-s m'rEN OFFICE.

BYRON B. GOLDSMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. CASEIN COMPOUND.

I -No. 840,931.

Be it known that'I, :BYRON 'B. GOLD-" jo all whom) it may concern.-

MITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of-New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a s ecificatron. v

y invention has reference to a new composition of matter, consisting of casein and certain ingredient or ingredients which, for reasons whichare explained farther. on, I

have called converting agents or casein converters. c

The main characteristic of the new composition of matter is that it becomes plastic and moldable when heated, so that it can be used for a great variety of purposes' and in 1 its forms most nearly resembles celluloid in man of its forms for the same purpose for Whio celluloid is used in the arts, and it is, in fact, mainly, although not exclusively, designed 'foruse as a substitute for celluloid or also as a substitute for horn and hard and soft rubber and other like substances.

My new composition'of matter in some of turning, carving, drilling, cutting, and other i like procedures in about the same manner in which wood would be shaped. None of these old casein masses could be rolled out into sheets which copld be molded and re molded at will any desired number of times, since none of these old masses had the one pro erty upon which the extensive use of she substance in the various arts-largely detpends-mamely, plasticity.

' Casein itself and its derivatives are not [plastic but in accordance with my invention such substances'are rendered plastic under heat toany desired degree. I have discovered that when caseinis brought into intimate contact with certain chemical compounds the casein coalesceswith these com- Specificatitin of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed August 28, 1906. Serial No. 332,895.

Patented Jan, 8, 1907.

pounds and forms with the same the new substance, which may be called converted casein or thermoplastic casein. Some of the compounds which I have found to act as converters of casein "are alpha-naphthol,

betanaphthol, benzoic acid, carbolic acid,

hydrochinon, kresol, pyrocatechin, resorcin, salicylic acid, and urea. There are other compounds which act as converting agents on casein,and I am not limited to the, use of the..compounds which I have enumerated, although these yield good results.

In order that the crude casein or any of its derivatives become converted into the new state, it must-be brought into intimate con- 'tact'withthe converting agent or agents em.- r

ployed, and this may require the application of heat or of heat and pressure, or it may in I some cases be eflected without heat and.-

pressure, according to the particular converting agent and the forni in which it is em' ployed.

i The action of the converting agent. in

causing casein or its derivatives, which are not plastic, to become lastic,'although not fully understood by me, believe to be due to the solvent action of the converting agent.

If a quantity of a convertin agent-say resor'cin-isput 'into atest-tu e andis'heated until it ls-melted and a piece of casein IS dropped into the same the casein gradually disappears. in the fusion. Othef'converting .a cute act in a similar manner on casein. T ere are, however, some converting agents which do not convert the casein uite as comletely as resorcin and others, an when these ess owerful converters areheated and the casein is dropped into them the latterdoes not disappear in the fusion, but is simply softened and swells up.

The degree of hardness attained by the product in the cold state varies with the kind of converting agent employed, and ordinarily the new composition will be softer in the cold state and more plastic when heated when a greater quantity of converting agent is em- "ployed. Liquidconverting agents will also usuall give a softer product tan solid ones, and w ien a liquid converting agent is used 1n sufficient quantity the new compoundcanbe imade with any degree of pliability and flex1- bility in'the cold. This same result can be obtained by the'use of a solid converting ICC , agent with the addition of a liquid which is not antagonistic to'the mixture, such as glyc- 'ering I am thus enabled to vary the hardness and thermopilasticity of the new composition of matter t oughout a very wide range by using different converting agents or by v employingseveral converting agents togetb er converted casein that became plastic by the I have used three poun heat of the hand and others that require the heat of steam at eighty pounds pressure to become plastic. A characteristic of some of the converting agents upon which the continued thermoplas-" tic roperty of the new composition depends is tl ieir tendency toremain in the com ound and not to volatilize to any marked d iwree. Altogether the converting a ents with respect to and act upon t 1e casein in a similar manner ascam hor upon nitrocellulose in the formation oi lulose by itself is not plastic, but becomes so when mixed with camphor.

In the practical manufacture of my new composition of matter the casein may be united with the converting agent on and be tween suitably-heated rolls the same as nitrocellulose and camphor are in the manufacture of. celluloid. An method,

however, will answer by which t e casein is brought into intimate contact with the converting agent whether or not heat and ;pressure be employed. 7 Instead of usi the converting agents in their natural state canwith *edvantagefirst dissolve them in alcohol or water or other suitableliquid. 'A liquid which readily evaporates is advisable. No

definite roportions of theuifiredients can be or need estated, since aw e rang'of pro-e ortions is permissible, diapending'upon the degree. of hardness an thermoplasticity aimed at. One of the numerous practicable proportions which I have used-and the manner ofprocedure emplo ed is the following: of dry casein, one pound of beta-naphthol; and one intofalcohol. The naphthol was first disso ved'in. the alcohol, and "the solution-was sprinkled u on the casein, so as to thoroughlymoisten t e same. The mass was then kneaded be-- tween moderately-heated rolls until it became uniform throughout. In this condition the mass was then rolled f-out into sheets. and these sheets remained fiexibleat ordinary temperatures un'tilrthe alcohol had evaporated, when they became hard at ordinary temperatures, bugfiuite plastic when heated 5. It Will -be res y understood that large quantities of compoundin materials or ad- I mixtures can be kneaded 1n with'the casein on the rolls, the same as is done in the manucrude casein 0r casein behave to act similarly to the we casein.

celluloid. Nit-rocel-- Having now descri ed my invention, 1

heat and ticularly is it practicable to knead into the 6 5' 'mass scraps of waste celluloid, finely-divided horn, rubber, resins, gums, and coloringmatter, 'and 111 this manners, great variety of 1 converted caseincompounds canbe produced, each having a peculiarity ofits own. Glycerin 7Q may also be mixed into the mass for rendering the product, moreflexible. The sheets as they come from the mixing-rolls or-calenders may with advantage be pressed between. heated plates to complete the conversion.

. Instead of using casein alone or casein with suchadmixtures as above broadly indicated for the production of converted casein or, converted casein compounds, I ma use any of the derivatives of casein known m the 8o 7 arts, such as the compounds of casein with acids, bases, andsalts, and I wish it to be understood that in my claims the term ,casein is employed to include the derivatives of casein, since I'have found the latter 8 5 claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-, 1 ent. I

1. The process .ofmakinga composition of 9o 'msltter which consists in uniting casein with an agent or a ents which render the same moldable or i t ermoplastic, substantially as described.

2. The process of making a composition of 5 matter,w 'ch consists inuniting caseinunder ressure with an a cut or agents which ren erthe same molda is or thermo plastic, substantially as described.

3. The process of converting casein into a moldable or thermoplasticstate, which con sists in casein with beta-naphthol or its equivalents. v

. 4..- The processof conve casein into a moldable or thermoplastic-state, which-com .sists 'in uniting casein under heat and pressure with beta-naphthol or its equivalents,

.substantiallyas described. 1

5. The process of making a thermoplastic composition of matter, which consists in no uniting casein with an agent or agentswhich render the casein thermoplastic and with com-. 1 pounding materials or admixtures, substan tially as described. a

"6. The process of making a 'thremoplastie n5 I composition of matter which consists in uniting casein underheat ressnre with an agent or'agents which ren the ca din thermoplastic and with compounding 'materials 'or scribed; i 8; The composition ofimatter consisting of 5 casein and beta-naphthdl or (its equivalents,

substantially as described. factors ofrub'ber and celluloid. More par-,

9. The compositionof matter consisting of admixtures, substantially as do lac scribed. w i

casein, beta-naphthol or its equivalents and name to this Specification in the presence of compounding material, substantially as detwo subscribing witnesses.

- ing materials, substantially as described.

scribed. r

10. The composition of matter which 0011- I I BYRON LDSMI sists of thermoplastic casein and compound- Witnesses:

OSCAR WIENER,

In testimony whereof I'have signed my Q HENRY WIENCKE. 

